Source
Occupational Health Service, Hospital of the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University of Frankfurt, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590 Frankfurt, Germany. Sabine.Wicker@kgu.de
Abstract
BACKGROUND:
Medical students come into contact with infectious diseases early on their career. Immunity against vaccine-preventable diseases is therefore vital for both medical students and the patients with whom they come into contact.
METHODS:
The purpose of this study was to compare the medical history and serological status of selected vaccine-preventable diseases of medical students in Germany.
RESULTS:
The overall correlation between self-reported medical history statements and serological findings among the 150 students studied was 86.7 %, 66.7 %, 78 % and 93.3 % for measles, mumps, rubella and varicella, conditional on sufficient immunity being achieved after one vaccination. Although 81.2 % of the students' medical history data correlated with serological findings, significant gaps in immunity were found.
CONCLUSION:
Our findings indicate that medical history alone is not a reliable screening tool for immunity against the vaccine-preventable diseases studied.